These stories are memorable and they demonstrate how marketers can make money by (1) using YouTube advertising, or (2) becoming a YouTube Partner.

The Rutgers Mini-MBA: Digital Marketing program is designed for executives working in marketing, advertising, communications, and sales, as well as anyone who is responsible for developing a digital media or social media plan for their organization. And based on video interviews of participants in the program, these YouTube success stories will be retold when they return to their day jobs next week.

If I have any regrets about the participants in the program, it is this: Too many of them are New York Yankees fans and not enough are Boston Red Sox fans.

Nevertheless, my students often teach me a thing or two during my three-and-a-half-hour long course.

For example, when I asked them to check out the Orabrush channel this week, they didn’t look at the Orabrush commercials, Diary of a Dirty Tongue, or user reviews. They watched “Bye Bye, Bad Dog Breath – Orapup.”

And then they went to the Orabrush website and found 20 press releases about the company that had been distributed from Sept. 28, 2010, to Sept. 20, 2012. But none of these press releases mentioned Orapup.

What they did discover, however, was a subtle but significant change in the way the company describes itself.

Two years ago, the “About Orabrush” boilerplate at the end of their press releases said,

“Created by Dr. Robert Wagstaff (‘Dr. Bob’) in 2000, Orabrush is a patented, FDA approved tongue cleaner designed to help cure bad breath using a combination of ultra-soft, pointed bristles that reach deep into the tongue and a unique scraper to remove bacteria. Orabrush intends to become the #1 tongue cleaner in the world as 80% to 90% of bad breath is caused by bacteria on the tongue. Orabrush has demonstrated industry-leading innovation in social media marketing to create awareness and online purchases at unprecedented levels. With over 24 million YouTube views and more than 250,000 Facebook fans, the brand has launched into 114 countries in the past year. Orabrush has the seventh most subscribed sponsor channel on YouTube and is rapidly expanding to retail to meet the needs of engaged consumers globally. Watch the videos or order your Orabrush at www.orabrush.com or connect with us on www.YouTube.com/orabrush.”

In other words, Orabrush started off as a tongue cleaner.

More recently, the “About Orabrush” boilerplate at the end of their press releases says,

“Orabrush, Inc. (www.orabrush.com) is an e-commerce distribution platform that leverages social media marketing, with expertise in YouTube advertising, to commercialize innovative products. Using its ‘reverse marketing model’ with YouTube, the company has delivered unprecedented results in awareness and conversion driving online to offline sales with the Orabrush tongue cleaner and enzyme-infused Orabrush tongue foam powered by Orazyme. With more than 48 million video views and more than 185,000 subscribers, Orabrush is one of the top subscribed sponsor channels on YouTube (just behind brands like Apple, Red Bull and Old Spice) and has more than 340,000 Facebook fans. Orabrush is in 15 countries, 75 retailers and more than 30,000 retail stores globally and has become the No. 1 tongue cleaner in the world.”

In other words, Orabrush has become an e-commerce distribution platform.

And in the company’s latest press release, Orabrush announces that it has added Dr. Shekhar Mitra, former Procter & Gamble (P&G) Senior Vice President of Global Prestige and Beauty, Corporate Innovation to its board of directors. This is the kind of announcement that often flies under the radar.

But look what Mitra says in the press release: “This team is poised to change the way that brands market and advertise online, and I am honored and excited to help them find new ways to build on the incredibly strong foundation they have already laid.”

And Jeff Davis, CEO of Orabrush, adds, “Moving forward, I see Orabrush continuing to reinvent the way that brands reach and engage with consumers, and we are working to create an infrastructure that can support that growth and expansion of our model.”

One of my students asked, “Can Orabrush cure bad breath in dogs?” Another asked, “Does Orabrush plan to become a distribution channel for other company’s brands?”

They expected me to already know the answers. But they had just shown me a thing or two that I hadn’t seen before the class had started.

Greg Jarboe is President and Co-Founder of SEO-PR, a content marketing agency which provides search engine optimization, online public relations, social media marketing, and video marketing services. Jarboe is author of "YouTube and Video Marketing: An Hour a Day". Jarboe is on the faculty of the Rutgers Center of Management Development as well as Market Motive. He is also a correspondent for Search Engine Watch as well as the Knowledge Transfer blog. He is also a frequent speaker at industry conferences.

http://www.VideoLeadsOnline.com/ Ronnie Bincer

I have a dog... a talented dog named Victor the Video SEO Hound! Is orapup right for this Hound? Hmmm.

Dagmar Schneitz

This sounds about right. Just like mouthwash can at least treat bad human breath, So I don't see why orabrush can't help with dogs.